Zimbabwe’s former vice president and leader of the opposition National People’s Party, Joice Mujuru, says she is not ruling out teaming up with recently ousted Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa who many analysts blame for urging President Robert Mugabe to expel her in 2014 amid allegations of plotting a coup.
In an exclusive Interview with VOA Studio 7 for Zimbabwe, Mujuru said it was now clear that President Mugabe is the real problem because of his alleged dictatorial tendencies.
Mujuru said, “Each time Mr. Mugabe wants to fire his deputy, he will accuse them of disloyalty, this he started with Vice President (Joshua) Nkomo, he said the same to (Edgar) Tekere … He (Mugabe) is a man who is obsessed with power.”
Mr. Mugabe has been in power since Zimbabwe attained independence from British rule in 1980 and in that period he has had seven vice presidents and no clear successor.
MUJURU-MNANGAGWA TICKET
Some war veterans have called on the two liberation war heroes – Mujuru and Mnangagwa - to form a party to challenge Mr. Mugabe in the 2018 elections. Asked about the prospect of teaming up with Mnangagwa, Mujuru said he is free to join her opposition National People’s Party. “Our freedom train doors are wide open.”
Some political analysts had ruled out the possibility of the two working together after Mnangagwa’s so-called Team Lacoste faction hounded Mrs. Mujuru and her allies from the ruling Zanu-PF party and government.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail in 2015, Mnangagwa reiterated Mr. Mugabe’s charges that Mrs. Mujuru was plotting a coup.
“The revelations that came out showed that our Vice-President (Mujuru) was not fit to lead the country; (we) would easily have our revolution sold that way.”
Mnangagwa also accused Mujuru of plotting to topple Mr. Mugabe in conjunction with Washington.
Mnangagwa said as Zanu-PF members discussed the revelations, they were repulsed.
“Like those things where she would go with the American ambassador at night and you are vice-president of a country, and serve tea in a dark house. So, all those things put together and now the things which were being revealed about corruption and so on, we all felt that this country would go into problems if she took over the reins of this country.”
Mujuru has denied the allegations of plotting a coup and corruption daring the Zimbabwe Republic Police to arrest her.
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Mujuru: I Am Willing to Team Up With Ousted Zimbabwe VP Mnangagwa